the bird was just around the corner, slightly up hill from the corner of first and spring streets downtown. you can see the entry cleanly if you look across the intersection while sipping cocktails at mccormick and schmicks. but back in 1978, that whole area downtown was completely derelict with empty buildings and boarded up store fronts.

the bird was in the lobby of the old "john l. bird hardware company" (thus the name 'bird' which was above the door already in the cement). the cops raided the place on opening night and smashed heads and closed it down. they even broke the arm of susie grant (the lead singer of the enemy who performing at that moment). there is a recording of the raid at the beginning of the enemy's first single "trendy violence".

the bird survived for maybe three months until the police and the fire department finally managed to close it forever (thus starting that loooong period where clubs kept getting shut down. the average lifespan for a club in seattle was like two months). then they put on a couple of shows as "the bird in exile" in a couple of places, then ended up in the ioof temple (second floor) on capitol hill. it lasted a few more months and then was closed again.

it's been said that every single person who was at that opening night show later eneded up in bands of their own. old photos of the interior of the second bird (at the ioof temple) shows folks like kim fastback, kurt bloch and even mike vraney as little teenagers hanging out.